Dark Elegance
by T3hWh1t3P4nth3r
Summary: A few years after the war Harry, Ron and Hermione are successful aurors. Draco is dark and dangerous. I'm really not good at summaries... This one is NOT my usual 'drarry lovey dovey' story. In fact there's no real drarry in it. Sorry.


Authors note: I know, I know "Why are you writing new stories when you have WIP's to be working on?! What the fruit, P4nth3r!?" Well, I joined a competition which is why I'm working on new stories and I'm in college so I don't have a lot of time. I will get back to them, I swear.

Disclaimer: I haven't really done one of these in a while. I do not own the characters or locations used in this story. This was made strictly for entertainment and I make no money of any kind from these productions.

WARNING!: This story will include dark themes and potential character death. You've been warned.

Also, this story is probably 5 or so years after the war. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are aurors and Draco is dark and dangerous. Enjoy.

Harry and Ron looked up as Hermione tossed a file down on to the desk in front of them. They found the witch's jaw set, her lips forming a small, irritated line. "They released him. They say whatever the problem was has gone away and he has made a recovery."

Harry's eyebrows furrowed. "What the bloody Hell are they thinking? Of course he's not 'better'. You can't cure the type of mental that he became!"

Hermione sighed, sitting on the edge of the desk. "That's what I said, but they wouldn't listen to me. The staff at St. Mungo's said that he finished the release papers and left with a faint smile, uttering a 'thank you' to the staff that had 'helped' him. That's already suspicious enough. Malfoy never smiles unless he's up to something, especially nowadays."

Harry groaned, running a hand through his already disheveled hair. "Why does no one ever listen to us…" He seemed to be musing his thoughts aloud rather than actually seeking an answer.

Ron shrugged. "I dunno, but it's bloody irritating…"

"Anyway," Hermione said, "He seems to have disappeared. The Ministry had implanted a small charm into his shoulder to be able to keep an eye on him. Though I can't say I approve of doing such things without someone's consent, it did seem like a good idea at the time. Clearly they hadn't expected him to notice it was there. They tracked the magical signature back to Malfoy Manor. When they went to check up on him the day after he was released, there was no sign of him. All they found was the charm in the drawing-room and a small bloodied knife beside it."

Ron looked a little grossed out. "Wait, so he carved the charm out of his shoulder? That's disgusting! Not to mention, it had to hurt."

Harry's tone was low. "I think it would be safe to say that Malfoy has probably had worse pain in his life. Knowing him, he wouldn't mind it so much if it were by his own hand."

Hermione nodded solemnly. She slipped from her spot on the desk. "We should form a plan of approach. I also think it would be a good idea to attempt to profile him. He's not the same boy we knew in school. I think he'd be more than willing to kill now…" She turned and headed to her own desk to start preparations.

000

After two hours of work the trio was still trying to figure out how the blonde might think or act. "What we really need to figure out is where the hell he's hiding…" Ron said, getting more and more frustrated as they chased their own tails with 'what-if's.

Harry spoke. "He could be in the Manor."

Hermione had already started shaking her head before the raven-haired man had finished his thought. "That's far too obvious, Harry. He would never be so predictable."

It was at this point that lightning seemed to strike Ron's brain. "No, wait! I think Harry's right!" Hermione gave him an exasperated look but the ginger continued speaking before she could object. "Think about it: It's so obvious that everyone knows he wouldn't be so foolish as to be there. He knows that's how people will see it."

Harry finished Ron's thought. "Making it the perfect hiding place. No one will look there because they think he's 'too smart' to even consider it. In reality, he seems to be a lot smarter… He's hiding in plain sight."

Hermione nodded. "He planted the charm to throw the officers off. 'Why would he leave the tracking device where he actually intended to stay?'… So that no one would think he was still there. It all makes sense…"

Harry and Ron nodded. The red-head was clearly proud of the fact that he pieced it together. Harry spoke. "So, when do we head to the manor?"

Hermione thought for a moment. "We should go in the morning. It's getting late and we don't know the layout of the manor. Going now would be terribly foolish." The men nodded again. Hermione continued. "Let's meet in front of the Ministry tomorrow morning at 8. We can apparate to a safe distance from the mansion and make our approach from there. I would suggest that you brush up on your disillusionment charms. The cloak will only work for one but even so it won't hurt to have a backup if something happens to it."

They finished forming their plans for the next day before packing up their things, exchanging quick 'goodbye's and 'good night's. They went to their homes and tried their best to get some sleep. They knew they'd need it for the following day.

000

Ron was the last to arrive at the Ministry the following morning. Even so, they were still 15 minutes ahead of schedule. None could wait to start the mission, their anxieties having steadily grown through the night. After checking to make sure they had everything they needed they braced themselves for what lie ahead. Harry and Ron slipped their hands into Hermione's smaller ones. They turned on the spot and, after the uncomfortable sensation of being squeezed through a rubber tube, they found themselves in a charming, rural countryside. It would have been rather lovely if it weren't for the fact that there was likely a murderous figure plotting behind the closed doors of an ancient manor of stone.

They made their way in the direction of Malfoy Manor. It wasn't too long before the foreboding mansion was in their sights. They paused briefly. "So, what? We're just going to walk up to the front door?" Ron asked.

Hermione spoke, her tone quavering lightly with her nervousness. "We could always use the disillusionment charms."

Harry shook his head. "No good. If we profiled him even the tiniest bit accurately, he'll have charms in place to disrupt our magic as we approach the manor at the very least. I don't think he will have done the same within its walls though. He'd see that as being no fun now…"

Hermione looked a bit frightened but gave a nod, as did Ron. They turned their attention back to the dark building. Though hesitant at first, they continued on their way, not knowing what they would encounter once they reached their destination.

They pushed the blackened, iron gates open, the hinges giving a chilling squeal in protest – or possibly in warning. The hedge that lined the pathway had grown wild, untended for many years. It almost felt as though its overgrown limbs are reaching out to the three of them. Whether to push them further into the darkness or hold them back from it they could not tell. They reached the small courtyard before the double doors that led into the main foyer. As with the hedge, the rose bushes had grown unkempt, their thorny fingers lacing across the ground, crisscrossing and entwining. Statues scattered about seem to have grown dark from lack of care, the features difficult to make out past years of grime, moss and plants that slowly started to overtake their once graceful forms. As if the scene were not eerie enough, the fountain before them still ran. In sharp contrast to everything else, the water flowed clear, a faint glimmer of crystalline blue in the faded world around it.

Harry moved to open the doors to get into the mansion. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves a bit, his hand tight on the door handle. He pushed it open. Unlike the gates' high pitched squeal, the door gave a low, almost ominous moan as it opened onto the darkened hall. The three carefully crept inside, not sure what to expect. Harry was further ahead than the other two.

Everything that happened next seemed to fly by in a blur. In a split second the door slammed shut and sealed itself. They all turned in surprise and alarm. Harry moved to close the gap between him and his friends but too late. A wooden wall shot up in front of him, cutting him off. He turned to simply go around the block but found another wall. He soon found that he was surrounded on all sides. He had been quite literally boxed in. He could hear Hermione and Ron shouting to know if he was alright. Though he called responses, they appeared unable to hear him. He heard Ron call out that he was going to try to break it down. At that same moment, the floor beneath Harry's feet simply disappeared. He fell into darkness, a scream escaping his throat from both surprise and genuine fear.

Before he knew it Harry found himself colliding with a floor of solid stone, a small shout passing from his lips. A chilling, low laugh reached his ears before a cold, drawling voice. "I see you're as graceful as ever, Potter." Harry slowly forced himself up off the ground to glare at the source of the voice. He spotted the only other figure in the dimly lit chamber: Malfoy.

He stood with a small groan. "Malfoy! What the bloody hell are you playing at!?"

Though Draco's face was mostly cast in shadow from his hood, Harry could clearly make out the vicious smirk that had twisted onto the blonde's lips. "You know, now that you mention it, I think 'playing' is a very good way to put it." An armchair of black appeared behind him and he sat gracefully. Harry couldn't believe that the Slytherin Prince had actually gotten cockier. "It gets terribly boring in a mental ward, you see. It isn't nearly as interesting as many people seem to think it is." He sighed lightly. "After the first hour or so you just tune out the monotonous screams of people in the other rooms. Not to mention, none of the doctors, nurses or assistants were the least bit attractive -"

"This isn't a game, Malfoy!" Harry shouted, his temper flaring at how carelessly Draco brushed aside the sufferings of others. He forced himself to calm down and speak levelly. "Malfoy, we don't have to do this. Just come with me and we can-"

He was cut off when the former Slytherin laughed. "And we can what? Head back to the Ministry where you can throw me back into the asylum if I'm lucky or Azkaban if I'm not? Well, neither of those sound terribly appealing to me, I'm sure you understand. After all, your dear godfather spent twelve years in Azkaban and it wreaked havoc on his mind. Who can say if he ever really recovered… And I must say I find it hilariously ironic that you now play lap dog to the very institution that allowed him to be subjected to such cruelty in the first place."

A streak of red flew from Harry's wand straight at the blonde's heart. At the last second it shot straight up, dispersing upon striking the ceiling. Draco stood, shaking his head lightly. "Tut tut. I really expected more from you, Auror Potter. Still haven't learned to control your temper or to properly gauge your opponent, I see."

Harry's grip tightened on his Holly wand. After so many years, the blonde still knew how to piss him off. He kept his wand trained on Draco. "Ready yourself! If you're so insistent to fight then we may as well do it properly and sort this all out."

The smirk returned to the former Slytherin's lips. "Big mistake…" Harry barely dodged a bolt of bright green light. The killing curse collided with the wall, breaking chunks of stone loose. Harry felt a new wave of terror crash through his mind. Hermione was right: Draco had become more than willing to kill now and he learned how to do it non-verbally. The dark-haired auror just managed to get a shield charm up as the blonde struck again. The impact still forced him back a bit but he didn't let it stagger him for long. He cast bright orange flame at the snake but he dodged easily.

Harry cried out as he was thrown back against the wall, unable to block Draco's attack. The dark-haired man collapses to the ground, the air briefly stolen from his body. He could see the former Slytherin rushing toward him. And then the strangest thing happened, something that hadn't happened in years: Harry's wand seemed to act of its own accord. He heard the shout of the blonde as he was struck with a spell. He looked up in time to see the Death Eater hit the ground, skidding a bit further. The force caused his hood to fall from his head, exposing his platinum locks. Harry stood shakily, clutching at his side. The air was hazed with smoke from fire and dust from shattered stone.

He slowly started creeping toward where the blonde lay. He backed away slightly as he saw the shadowy outline get to its feet. The air began to clear and the auror found his gaze locked with the blonde's. The dark-haired man backed away further with a small gasp. Though he knew that this was in fact Draco Malfoy, he found it very difficult to believe. The man standing before him barely resembled himself. His hair had gotten longer and was haphazardly tied back; his face was unshaven, a short, scruffy beard starting; there was also the faint scar on the fair man's left cheek from when the crystal chandelier had shattered all those years ago. These were not the features that threw Harry off, though. What got him was the fact that the blonde's eyes, once a bright silvery grey, were now blackened with malice and hatred.

"Malfoy…" Harry tried to keep his tone calm. "What's happened to you?" The former Slytherin's lips twisted into a wicked smile that was unlike any expression Harry had ever seen on the blonde's face.

He spoke, his voice sounding warped, as if two people were trying to talk through him at once. "Did you really think it would be that easy to get rid of me? Come now, Potter. That's naïve even for you." Harry's heart started to beat faster as the many shadows in the room began to converge on the blonde man. He was soon surrounded by an aura of darkness, lifting off the ground to grin maliciously down at the auror. "Scared, Potter?"

Though he hated to admit it, Harry was afraid. He had no way of escaping and no way to know what the blonde was capable of. "Malfoy, you aren't yourself! Please, come to your senses!" Chills rush down the Savior's spine as the dual voices laugh. "I want to help you!"

"I don't want your help!" Harry jumps to the side as the aura of shadow lashed out like a whip. He soon started to struggle to defend himself. The figure above him moved with a dark elegance, making the situation seem more surreal. He could vaguely make out the outline of the blonde within the cocoon of pulsating black. He almost resembled a puppet, his arms hung slightly in the air.

Harry cried out as the attacks broke through his defenses and struck him. One of the whips wrapped around his ankle, hoisting him up into the air. In his moment of panic, the former Gryffindor accidentally drops his wand. He soon found himself dangling in front of the former Slytherin. The shadows disperse from his face so he can be seen. At this closer proximity Harry can see how distant the blonde's eyes seem to be. "Malfoy, you're possessed! You aren't yourself!"

"So you keep saying." He sounds bored by the dark-haired man's reiterations.

"Please, Malfoy! Don't you remember how it felt when you were being forced into situations you never wanted?! That's what is happening to you now! And you have to fight it!" He couldn't be sure but Harry thought he saw a faint flash of silver across the black irises. In that quick moment he was released, falling to the ground rather ungracefully. He scrambled to get his wand. Not taking terribly careful aim, Harry fired off a spell. Through sheer luck it struck the blonde in the chest. Though he knew he would try, Harry would never be able to get the chilling sound of the two voices screaming out of his head. He watched as the shadow tentacles flailed slightly, unsure of what exactly was happening. As he watched he noticed that the Death Eater's eyes were flashing silver a bit more: Draco was still in there somewhere and he was trying to fight back.

Harry took aim again, firing off another spell to weaken whatever had a hold on the blonde. He didn't move quickly enough as the shadow attacked again. He found himself sailing through the air, again hitting the wall. He staggered back to his feet, retraining his wand on Draco. With one last shot, his target screamed and fell to the ground. The auror approached cautiously, his wand still poised if he needed to defend himself. He spotted the figure on the ground as the smoke and dust began to clear. Draco's head shot up and their eyes instantly locked. One was still its new shade of black but the other had returned to its silvery grey. He spoke, his voice still warped. "Kill me… Harry, you're going to have to kill me!"

The raven- haired man was taken aback by the request. What the Hell was Malfoy thinking?! Of course Harry wouldn't kill him. He couldn't… His voice shook lightly as he spoke. "What do you mean? You can beat it. Look, you've already won half the battle."

Draco shook his head. "No, I can't… It's a miracle I got this far… It won't be too long before it overtakes me again… Harry, please…" The auror's heart broke at the look in his enemies eyes: he had given up hope a long time ago. "Please… Just end it…"

Still, Harry shook his head. "There has to be another way of stopping whatever this is. If we just figure out what it is that's possessing you we can-"

"No, Potter… We can't. Nothing possesses me but my own thoughts… An idea… There's no way to get rid of it. It will always be there…" Harry sees a muscle in the blonde's neck twitch, much like what happened to him during fifth year. The blonde was slowly slipping back into the darkness though he tried to fight it. Before that happened though, the blonde waved his hand, surrounding them in mirrors.

He gave a shout that seemed partly like a growl and his eyes were black once more. He withdrew his Hawthorn wand, aiming it at Harry. His tone was back to the cold venom of before. "You're a fool, Potter!" A red spell flew from the former Slytherin's wand. The auror blocked it before attempting a counter. Draco moved out of the way, sending the spell back at its caster after striking the mirror. Slowly the Savior starts to figure out why the former Slytherin had put up the mirrors: If Harry wouldn't kill him, he would do it himself.

He was getting ready to call out to Malfoy to tell him that there was another way. AS he looked, though, he saw another spell of deep red bolting toward him. Out of instinct he dodged away. He instantly regretted the move because the spell rebounded, heading toward the blonde. He seemed to be forcing himself to stay in its path. Harry cast a shield charm toward the blonde. It reached him a split second after the gashes ripped through his porcelain skin.

Harry gave a shout as Draco fell to his knees, blood trailing from his lips. The auror was soon on his knees beside the fallen man. He could see clearly now that Draco had cast Sectumsempra and it had cut deep. He watched as the black left the blonde's eyes. His gaze slowly started to become distant.

The raven-haired man took the former Slytherin into his arms. "Draco! Come on, you can't die on me now! We'll get you fixed up and we'll sort everything out, you'll see…."

Draco shook his head gently. Harry can practically feel the life leaving the blonde's body. His voice is weak but completely his own now. "It's too late… besides… It's better this way… I'm obviously susceptible to dark magic… I would just continue causing problems…"

The Savior shakes his head, trying to keep his composure. "No, it's gone now! Everything should return to normal… It isn't right…"

Draco looks up into Harry's eyes, the light fading from his own. "I'm sorry… For everything…" His eyelids slip shut, his last breath passing his lips like a soft sigh.

Harry shakes him lightly. "No… No! Malfoy, you can't die! Not like this!" The auror feels a heavy weight descend on his heart. He can't help but feel that this all his personal responsibility… His fault…

Note: The end. This was just a one shot. I highly doubt that there will be any more for this story. I leave the rest up to your imaginations. ;)


End file.
